3 Running Backs the Eagles Must Sign With Boston Scott and Kenny Gainwell Injured

The Eagles’ running back situation shows just how quickly things can change in the NFL. This was one of the deepest positions on the roster — so deep that Rashaad Penny wasn’t even active in WEek 1 — and now it’s incredibly thin.

With Kenny Gainwell sidelined by a rib injury, Boston Scott also got knocked out of Thursday night’s game against the Minnesota Vikings and has entered the concussion protocol.

It remains to be seen whether Gainwell or Scott will miss any time, but it leaves the Eagles with only two healthy running backs on the roster for the time being.

We don’t need a new starter, obviously. D’Andre Swift has that locked down and Rashaad Penny is a great RB2.

But the injuries do mean we absolutely need to start looking at the available options out there, and we probably need to at least sign one to the practice squad as an insurance plan.

Here are the top three running backs the Eagles need to target.

Free-Agent Running Backs the Eagles Must Sign

1. Caleb Huntley

You may not have heard of Caleb Huntley, and that’s the reality of the kind of players the Eagles will be looking at. It’s not like we’re going to sign Kareem Hunt or Leonard Fournette here.

But hype or no hype, Caleb Huntley can ball.

He ran for 366 yards on 76 attempts (4.8 yards per carry) as an undrafted rookie with the Atlanta Falcons in 2022. That whole offense had it going on the ground, but he was right up there with Tyler Allgeier (4.9 YPC) in efficiency, and we saw in Week 1 that Allgeier is certainly legit.

Pro Football Focus also absolutely loved Huntley’s game (at least as a rusher). He got a poor receiving grade but an elite rushing grade, ranking 11th among all running backs (just one spot behind Derrick Henry).

I’m not saying Huntley is going to be Derrick Henry, but we also don’t need him to be.

Penny can handle Boston Scott’s kick return duties, so what we need from Huntley is the ability to get game-ready and handle a few rushes if anyone else gets banged up or needs a breather. And he can absolutely do that and then some.